Voters have two issues to consider on Saturday's ballot

Wednesday

Dec 5, 2012 at 11:03 AM

Lafourche voters will decide on two separate tax propositions on Saturday.

Xerxes WilsonStaff Writer

Lafourche voters will decide on two separate tax propositions on Saturday.One is the renewal of a long-running tax that pays for Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District operations. The district pumps water into Bayou Lafourche from the Mississippi River to provide drinking water to the parish, said the district's Chairman Hugh Caffery. The other proposition is a new 1-cent sales tax for the North Lafourche Levee District that will significantly accelerate the construction of flood protection measures north of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in the parish, said the district's Director Dwayne Bourgeois.

Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District Director Archie Chiasson Jr. said the renewal for the district will continue a tax that has been levied at the proposed rate of 2.11 mills since the '50s. The district's primary function is to feed water from the Mississippi into Bayou Lafourche. From there, the parish and city of Thibodaux have treatment facilities that bring the water from the bayou to residents' homes.Bayou Lafourche is the sole source of drinking water for about 300,000 people. The primary expense is operating the pumping station on the Mississippi River in Donaldsonville. The district begins in Donaldsonville and stretches through Assumption Parish, encompassing all of Lafourche. The district has 15 employees because the pumping station must be constantly staffed. The employees also work to maintain the health of the bayou, which includes battling the ever-constant accumulation of water lilies. The district is also tasked with helping stem the intrusion of saltwater up the bayou from the Gulf, Chiasson said.Each parish is assessed the same millage, raising $1.5 million of the $2 million the district annually operates on.Chiasson said the district also supplements operations by charging treatment facilities a user fee per 1,000 gallons of water used.Caffery said the renewal keeps operations as they are.

The second proposition is a 1-cent sales tax on each dollar spent north of the Intracoastal Canal in Lafourche Parish.Bourgeois said voters will decide if they want flood protection measures to continue at the same pace or rapidly accelerate over the coming years. The Levee District protects the area from Lockport and Larose in south Lafourche to Kraemer and Chackbay in the parish's northern reaches. The district includes more than 200 miles of levees and 47 pump stations, Bourgeois said.The new tax will annually generate an estimated $8.6 million for the district. The intent is to finance some immediate protection work, while borrowing against part of the money to complete more financially ambitious projects, Bourgeois said.The district received a little more than $3 million last year, according to its most recently revised budget. The majority of that is derived from a 12-mill property tax; investments and grants make up the rest.Bourgeois said he is neutral on the proposition but said it is an opportunity for the district to be proactive rather than reactive with a flooding threat that is not going to go away. “The fact is that water is staying more and more and more on the low-lying areas of the parish because the Gulf is getting closer quicker,” Bourgeois said, noting record water levels in Des Allemands during Hurricane Isaac.The proposed tax has been criticized by some local politicians who said flood protection should be handled differently. Thibodaux City Councilman Chip Badeaux has claimed the district has money in reserves for projects. Bourgeois called Badeaux's claim misleading and said it is not the practice of the district to hoard money. Instead, he said the savings are dedicated to projects that can take years to complete.“We try to end the year broke unless we have to bring the project into the next year,” Bourgeois said. “Multimillion dollar projects that take multiple years require you have money in the bank.” Badeaux has also attacked the district's management, saying it shouldn't take $1 million to operate an office of three people.But Bourgeois noted much of the office's regular expenses, those not dedicated to a particular project, go toward regular levee maintenance or maintaining the district's equipment. Badeaux said he'd rather see the district borrow against the money spent on levee work to pay for a levee overhaul.Bourgeois said the district has identified and prioritized $248 million in projects to bring upper Lafourche's flood protection to ideal condition. The projects are categorized using the districts NOPET procedure, which takes into account cost, need and benefits with the intent of excluding political interests.The district's board explored all options before proposing the sales tax, including borrowing against the recurring revenues used for levee improvements, Bourgeois said. “Existing revenues are not significant enough to make a dent in the situation,” Bourgeois said.The board found money borrowed on a 10-year term could finance about five years worth of projects, leaving the district repaying the bond with no money for projects. “When you have a $248 million problem, that is not your answer,” Bourgeois said. “This isn't just about what is happening today because the situation is not getting better. This isn't for you as much as it is for your kids.”

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